Narendra Modi News

What matters now is the reaction of the other three key players to this latest move by the mercurial and inconsistent U.S. leader. Do Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping believe that Trump will actually follow through, and if he does what will it mean for their energy situation?

Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day.” In India, which keeps getting pilloried by the US president as an exemplar of bad behavior in trade, the reciprocal tariff announcement of April 2 has acquired a fervent overtone. In preparation, New Delhi is offering one sacrifice after another, hoping that the angry god of the White House will let it go with nothing more serious than a slap on the wrist. The latest peace offering is the decision to do away with a 6% tax on ads that local businesses place with foreign search engines, social media and e-commerce firms. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s way of telling Trump, “Look, we aren’t China. Not only do we allow Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. to hog our digital-advertising pie, if you want us to make it cheaper for them to operate, that’s fine, too.” Also Read: India open to clearing import duty hurdle for US auto parts The sacrifice is a win for Trump, though it isn’t much of a loss for Modi. Known colloquially as the “Google Tax,” the levy was a bad idea when it was introduced in India’s 2016 budget. Since then, domestic advertisers have had to withhold 6 cents on the dollar when they get their bills from places like Ireland, where online platforms typically book their revenue. Just like Trump’s tariffs will be mostly paid by American consumers, the burden of the so-called Indian equalization levy had to be absorbed not by the tech platforms, but by the advertisers. It pushed up costs for local businesses. Where would they advertise, if not on Google or Facebook?

Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur, despite the state witnessing prolonged violence and now being under President's Rule. Taking to X, Gandhi said, «Yesterday, I met with Congress leaders from different communities of Manipur in Parliament. It's deeply concerning that after nearly two years of violence and now President's Rule, PM Modi has still not visited the state.» Highlighting the need for peace and stability, he added, «The people of Manipur deserve peace and stability. Every Indian stands united in wanting a lasting solution to this crisis. Resolving this conflict must be our national priority.» The situation in Manipur is disturbing, with violent clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities. Manipur has been under the President's rule since February after the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh, as announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The state has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 2023. Meanwhile, Gandhi also opposed the central government's decision to permit offshore mining along the coasts of Kerala, Gujarat, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, calling it a move that threatens marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

Operation Brahma' to assist Myanmar after a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the country, claiming over 1,644 lives and reducing buildings to rubble. The large-scale humanitarian mission includes rescue teams, medical aid, and relief supplies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, expressing solidarity. In a post on X, he said, «Spoke with Senior General H E Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake. As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour.»

BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey unveiled key outcomes, including the Bangkok Vision 2030 and underlined that the grouping is set to grow stronger by partnering with other external partners such as Indian Ocean Rim Association and ASEAN. In an online conference organised by Centre for Global India Insights (CGII), a think tank focused on global affairs, Pandey underscored the growing political will and commitment of member states to strengthening BIMSTEC, enhancing its effectiveness, and ensuring time-bound implementation of decisions. The conference, titled “Bolstering BIMSTEC: Mapping the Next Steps,” was held ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangkok to attend BIMSTEC summit and featured eminent diplomats and experts from India, Thailand Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Diplomats from other BIMSTEC countries also attended the conference. Besides BIMSTEC Secretary General Pandey, Sumith Nakandala, First Secretary General, BIMSTEC Secretariat; Amb. (Retd.) Riva Ganguly Das, India’s Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Prof Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka; Dr. Piyanat Soikham, Director, India Studies Centre, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand; Prabir De, Professor, RIS; and Yash Pal Sachar, Vice-President, Ashok Leyland participated in the panel discussion. The conference was moderated by Manish Chand, CEO, Centre for Global India Insights. “Our leaders will adopt a joint declaration. They will also adopt a BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030. This is for the first time that BIMSTEC will adopt its own vision document,” said Pandey.

simultaneous polls, claiming polling will be eventually conducted by excluding people from «other» religions from the voters list under the guise of electoral reforms. An editorial in the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana claimed the BJP wants only one party to survive in the country and that the «one party one election» is its ultimate goal. Referring to Donald Trump, the editorial stated that while the US President wants to stop Latinos, black Americans, and immigrants from voting, similarly, in India polling will be conducted by excluding people from «other» religions from the voters' list and this will be labelled as election reform. It also pointed to the executive action signed by Trump on Tuesday to overhaul elections. The order makes the documentary proof of citizenship necessary for registration to vote in federal elections and demands that all ballots be received by Election Day. «India is the world's largest democracy, and the US is the strongest democracy. However, it is evident that the roots of democracy are so weak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have no faith in democracy and the freedom of expression,» the Shiv Sena (UBT) said.

Canada's Liberal Party revoked Indian-origin MP Chandra Arya's bid to run for the party leadership and his nomination in his own Ottawa Nepean constituency over his alleged ties to the Indian government, a media report said on Wednesday. Citing a source with top-secret clearance, the Globe and Mail daily reported that Arya, who visited India last August and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had not informed the government of that trip even though bilateral relations are in a deep freeze. The Liberals have never revealed why they barred the three-term Liberal MP from the party's recent leadership race or from running again in Nepean constituency, the paper said. Citing the source, the daily reported that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had briefed the government about Arya's «alleged close ties to the government of India, including its High Commission in Ottawa». Liberal Party officials who have security clearances and had received a general CSIS briefing on foreign interference also had concerns about Arya, a Liberal source said. The decisions to remove Arya as a candidate for the leadership and Nepean nomination were solely made by the Liberal Party and were not on the advice of CSIS, sources said.

Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited to enhance the Indian Army’s artillery capabilities. These deals, worth approximately Rs 6,900 crore, will provide the Army with 155mm/52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) and High Mobility Vehicle 6x6 Gun Towing Vehicles. The signing ceremony took place on 26 March 2025 in New Delhi, in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. With this procurement, the MoD’s total capital contracts for the financial year 2024-25 have reached Rs 1.40 lakh crore. The event also saw the Defence Secretary felicitate the Project Director of ATAGS from the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune, in recognition of his role in the project’s success.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s policymakers should be drawing up strategies to deal with the new age of trade barriers. Instead, they seem to be looking forward to it with a certain confidence, even optimism.

Nitish Kumar in a Bihar court seeking action against him over allegedly «disrespecting» the national anthem at a public event in Patna. Amit Kumar, the Advocate of the petitioner, spoke to after the Court ordered a notice to Nitish Kumar for disrespecting the National Anthem. «On 20 March, at an event in Patna's Patliputra Stadium, the National Anthem was being played, during which CM Nitish Kumar's body language was condemnable and punishable. Neither did he stand up for the National Anthem himself, nor was he allowing the other officials to respect it,» said the Advocate. «We have been taught to respect the national anthem since we are kids, that when the anthem is being played we should not fidget, make movements or indulge in any activities, adhering to the norms. This is disrespectful to the national anthem and the nation. The complainant is Vikas Paswan, who has filed the case. It is very shameful that a person appointed as the Chief Minister of the state disrespects the anthem,» the Advocate added. Earlier, an advocate filed the plea before the additional chief judicial magistrate (West) in Muzaffarpur and sought police action against CM Kumar under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act.

Amit Shah on Tuesday hailed the decision of two Hurriyat-affiliated organizations to break away from separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, calling it a «significant victory» for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a peaceful and united India. Shah's reaction came soon after the significant development came to the fore with the two organizations affiliated with the Hurriyat Conference made the announcement about their decision to sever ties with separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. «Separatism has become history in Kashmir. The unifying policies of the Modi government have tossed separatism out of J&K. Two organizations associated with the Hurriyat have announced the severing of all ties with separatism,» Shah expressed his views through his 'X' handle. «I welcome this step towards strengthening Bharat's unity and urge all such groups to come forward and shed separatism once and for all. It is a big victory for PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's vision of building a developed, peaceful and unified Bharat.» The decision by the two Hurriyat-linked groups is seen as a reflection of the changing political landscape in the Union Territory. Over the past few years, the government has implemented a series of measures aimed at curbing separatist activities, including strict enforcement of anti-terror laws and socio-economic reforms.

junk food consumption, especially among children, has raised concerns in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. During a discussion in the House, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also handles the health portfolio, stressed the need to strictly enforce the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.

privileged strategic partnership" with India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. Lavrov said at an event that Russia is actively expanding ties with countries like China, India, Iran, North Korea and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, the state-run TASS news agency reported on Monday. «We prioritize boosting ties with the majority of global states,» he said at a meeting of the board of trustees of the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund. «The relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with the People's Republic of China boast an unprecedented level of mutual trust. Particularly privileged strategic partnership is developing with India,» the top Russian diplomat said. Lavrov added that serious progress has been reached in expanding and deepening of friendly ties with such states as Iran and North Korea. Moscow puts special emphasis on strengthening of all areas of cooperation with allies and partners among CIS member states, including within the framework of the Commonwealth, as well as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, Lavrov said.

Araku Coffee, the world's first terroir-mapped coffee was launched in the canteens of both houses of the Parliament on Monday afternoon. The coffee was launched in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the presence of Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Kiren Rijiju, Piyush Goyal and TDP MPs. After the launch of the coffee, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, «It is a matter of pride for me that the government of Andhra Pradesh has taken up the Araku Valley coffee, a GI product, as an important product for every Indian to taste.» «With the collective efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, this double-engine government will take Araku to new heights; we will make it a premium product,» he added. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also spoke about the coffee and said, «We are inaugurating the Araku Valley coffee which is a very prestigious coffee from the hills of Araku in Andhra Pradesh. For years, the tribal farmers from Andhra, especially Araku, have been growing this distinctive coffee. Now, it is a world-renowned product.»

The state government will provide financial assistance to students preparing for competitive examinations and youth with graduate degrees. Training will be arranged to develop their employability skills through a dedicated platform. For this, the government will constitute a high-level committee. A concrete policy will be prepared soon for the regular appointment of Upanal and contract workers. Apart from this, government works up to ten crore rupees will be given only to local contractors of the state. The Chief Minister made these announcements in a program organised at the Parade Ground on the occasion of the completion of three years of service, good governance and development. There was a large number of enthusiastic attendance of people in the program. In his address, Chief Minister Dhami first paid tribute to the immortal fallen soldiers of Uttarakhand and Sardar Bhagat Singh ji, Rajguru ji and Sukhdev ji on Shaheed Diwas. He said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttarakhand has achieved success while facing various challenges.

Elon Musk, responded to the ongoing controversy over AI bot Grok in India with a laughing emoji. In a post on X, Musk shared a BBC article about the ongoing Grok debate, responding with just a laughing emoji. His reaction comes amid growing scrutiny of the chatbot’s responses, which have sparked heated political debates and drawn attention from India's IT ministry. The government is in touch with social media platform X over recent reports of AI chatbot Grok responding to users' provocation using Hindi slang and abuse. “The government has taken note of this, and we are deeply engaged with X on this issue. We are hoping for speedy action,” a senior government official told ET.

DMK was raising «emotional» issues like alleged Hindi imposition and Parliament delimitation as it had nothing to showcase as its own achievements before people during next year's Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Slamming the state's law and order situation, she said there was «lawlessness.» Sitharaman targeted the ruling party over the Anna University woman student sexual assault case. «What happened to that woman? Is the accused your party worker or not? Till date, what is the answer for the Kallakurichi incident,» she asked about the 2024 hooch tragedy that killed many persons. She questioned the DMK as to what has its government achieved 'distinctly' due to its efforts and wondered if it can mention any welfare measures brought to Tamil Nadu. «Nothing,» she said. «So take up emotional issues to hide your inability, corruption...at least these are old issues, now TASMAC (irregularities) has come up. Just like how scams used to come out daily during Manmohan Singh (UPA) government, of which DMK was a part. Such tales are happening,» in the current dispensation in TN, she told a media interaction.

Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that the bulldozer will roll if necessary when asked if perpetrators of violence in Nagpur will face the «Uttar Pradesh style» action. Addressing the media, he said the government would recover the cost of property damaged during the violence from rioters, and if they failed to compensate, their properties would be seized and sold to recover the losses. Replying to a query whether "bulldozer action" will be initiated against rioters in Nagpur on the lines of Uttar Pradesh, Fadnavis said, «The Maharashtra government has its own style of working....bulldozer will roll when necessary». «Wherever wrong things are happening, they will be crushed. Nobody (perpetrators) will be spared,» he added. He emphasised that strict action would be taken against those who attacked police officers during the unrest. Fadnavis stressed that the incident cannot be termed «intelligence failure», but the intelligence (gathering) could have been better. «Police will be alert. We won't tolerate any kind of disturbance».

Parliamentary constituencies, based on the 1971 Census population, by another 25 years and decided that MPs would submit a joint representation to press for demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ongoing Parliamentary session. A resolution adopted in the JAC meeting said that any delimitation exercise carried out by the union government to improve the «content and character» of democracy should be carried out transparently, enabling political parties of all the states, state governments and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss and contribute. «Given the fact that the legislative intent behind the 42nd, 84th and 87th Constitutional amendments was to protect / incentivise states which have implemented population control measures effectively and the goal of national population stabilisation has not yet been achieved, the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on 1971 Census Population, should be extended by another 25 years,» it said. The states which have effectively implemented the population control programme and consequently whose population share has come down, should not be penalised and the Centre must enact necessary constitutional amendments for this purpose. «The core committee consisting of Members of Parliament from the represented states will coordinate the parliamentary strategies to counter any attempts by the union government to undertake any delimitation exercise contrary to the principles mentioned above. The core committee of MPs shall submit a joint representation on the above lines to the Prime Minister of India during the ongoing Parliamentary session,» the resolution said.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to carry out the delimitation exercise in such a manner that no state would suffer any reduction in representation in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, especially in terms of the share of total number of seats in the House. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the YSRCP chief highlighted that the gravity of the delimitation issue has the potential to disrupt the social and political harmony in the country.

Ayodhya to construct «Ram Nivas», a dedicated accommodation for devotees, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday. He said the upcoming building will strengthen the spiritual bond between Parshuram Bhoomi of Goa and Ayodhya, fostering devotion, culture, and unity.